The Rauts took comfort in
the idea that their son could receive a drug to help his recovery or be part of
a study to help others in his same situation.

After the Rauts signed
off, Adam Raut was given either a placebo or a drug called BHR-100, a form of
the naturally occurring hormone progesterone, said Dr. Jon Walsh, a trauma
surgeon at Bronson Methodist Hospital who is involved with the study. The drug,
developed by BHR Pharma, could alleviate swelling of the brain.

For patients with
traumatic brain injuries, like Adam Raut, that is a big deal.

"The swelling in the
brain is what leads to brain cell death," Walsh said. "The
preliminary studies have found this to be the most effective treatment."

The study started in June
2010. About 100 hospitals worldwide are part of the study and looking to enroll
1,200 patients. The study recently enrolled its 600th patient, Walsh said.
Bronson just received its 14th.

Coverage of the crash from MLive.com and the Kalamazoo Gazette

On Sept. 8, Adam Raut was hit by a suspected drunken driver as he
crossed the street outside Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo. In a coma for two
weeks, Raut has recovered and is back home in Jackson.

To be a candidate for the
study, the patient must have had suffered a blunt-force brain injury. Gunshots
or any other penetrating wound do not qualify. Bronson, with its large coverage
area and many vehicle crashes, is one of the highest recruiting centers among
community hospitals, Walsh said. The patient also has to have a good chance of
survival.

Walsh was hesitant to talk
about Adam Raut specifically, but Becky Raut said her son fit the
qualifications. Once the Rauts signed off on the study, doctors gave Adam Raut
an intravenous injection of either progesterone or a placebo drug. The Rauts do
not know. Walsh does not know.

At the hospital, doctors
tracked Adam Raut's neurological signs. At three months and six months,
extensive interviews with him and his family will be conducted.

The study is the final
phase for the drug before federal approval. If approved, it would mark a
significant improvement in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, Walsh
said. He has been a practicing physician for 30 years. Treatment of serious
brain injuries has improved, but there have not been many drugs to help with
recovery.

"I would say from a
medicine point of view, this is probably the first," Walsh said.

There is no way for Walsh
to know the results of the study while it is in progress. The company conducted
an interim analysis of the data at 400 patients. At that point, if the study
showed remarkable improvement, the company would have been ethically bound to
contract the Food and Drug Administration, share their findings and push for
quick approval to put the drug on the market. If the study showed serious side
effects, the company would be ethically bound to cancel the trials, Walsh said.
Neither has happened.

"I'm just keeping my
fingers crossed," Walsh said. "I think that this would be a major
advancement for all the brain injured patients."